More Than A Vault Hunter
by Terrorbyte TC
Summary: Sequel to 'The First'-Jack is dead, his Warrior defeated, and the war practically won. But Pandora is still as dangerous, deadly, and corrupt as its always been. The Vault Hunters can't go adventuring till they clean up their mess. Meanwhile, Lilith sends a trio of her troops out to find the final two Sirens, and that journey will take them to places darker than they ever imagined.
1. One Hell of a Night

More Than a Vault Hunter, Chapter 1 – One Hell of a Party

**A/N: Hello everyone. I know it's been a while since I uploaded anything, and that this sequel is pretty late in coming, but I have been little distracted with my personal novel. I've stepped up the amount of content per chapter, because I'm on holidays, so each chapter will be pretty big, as well as a few days apart. As big as I can get it at least, so as to help me get better at writing, and give you, the reader, the best experience possible from this story.**

**This is a sequel to my previous Fan Fiction, 'The First', so if you haven't read that I recommend that you do. There are lots of important things in that story you will need to know to understand a lot of things in this story. Simply head over to my profile, and check it out from there.**

**Please review and all that jazz. Any support is greatly appreciated. :)**

**Read on.**

**(OR stands for Operations Room, and DT stands for Deathtrap)**

* * *

I stood next to Angel among the rest of the Vault Hunters as we looked out over the crowd. We had returned from the Vault of the Warrior only a few minutes ago, and already the people of Sanctuary were cheering for our victory and the death of Jack. Lilith stood at the front of the group, and the masses quietened at the raise of her hand. They had respected her as much as Roland, and had no trouble with accepting the new leadership. Besides, she was the most experienced leader of us all, and would do well in her new position.

"People of Sanctuary, it's done. Jack is dead, his Warrior defeated, and Pandora is finally free!" More cheering broke out among the crowd, but they silenced quickly when she kept speaking. "But even though we have won the battle, we aren't finished yet. Hyperion still has too much influence here, bandits still cover the planet in their swarms and we still have a lot of work to do. So I ask you, my friends, now that the worst is behind us, will you help me make Pandora the planet it was meant to be? Will you honour Roland and all our friends who have already given their lives in this war? Stand by me and fight on, Raiders! For Roland and for Pandora!"

The crowd went wild; the soldiers held their fists above their heads, the people clapped and cheered and smiles were on every face as they looked forward to the future that awaited them on Pandora. They weren't fooled into thinking it would be easy, but they were ready and willing to do anything to end this war for good, and finally live in peace.

Lilith smiled and said, "But tonight, we can celebrate. Moxxi told me just before I came up here, that in honour of Jack's death she has decided that all drinks are a dollar all night long. And I have decided that tomorrow will be a day off, so you all can rest and recuperate after a long, bloody, battle. Raider's, dismissed."

The crowd cheered and dispersed in their different directions. Most of them headed straight for Moxxi's, and I knew she would have an interesting time pouring that many drinks that fast. I just hoped someone would bother to help waiter for her. We made our way back into the HQ, and gathered around the holostation. We all looked at Lilith, expecting her to speak to us specifically. We could tell there was something on her mind, but we wouldn't know what if she didn't say anything.

"So guys, I guess that's that, but while they get to celebrate, I have a something pretty quick to say. It won't take long, and then you can all go mingle and get drunk off your faces, but right now I need you to be serious."

Brick raised a hand, and said, "I know what this is about, and before anyone says anything, dibs on hunting the Vaults."

Everyone laughed, and Lilith scoffed, "You can't call dibs on hunting hundreds of Vaults."

"Says you."

"Ugh, whatever. Now, my first point is actually about the Vaults, and the Vault Key. For now, we have to keep the Vaults a secret, and protect the Key as well as we can. We don't know how many Hyperion spies are still among the Raiders, and I would rather not have someone else beat us to it again. The Key will stay here with Tannis, so she can study it and maybe come up with a more efficient way to charge it, so I have don't have to nearly kill myself every damn time we need to use it. Once Hyperion is gone, then we can start calling in new Vault Hunters."

"Now, about cleaning up Pandora. I will be staying here for the most part and co-ordinate our efforts. It would be nice to have Angel stay too, but I know that you will be of much more use out there. I would be too, I suppose, but we can't have everyone running around like maniacs, can we?"

Axton frowned, "We can't? Oh, so then what _have_ we been doing this whole time?"

We laughed a little, then Lilith kept talking, "Brick, considering you want it so bad, you could go off and find the other Vaults. Not that it would do you much good, considering you won't have a key. So really, you'll have stay here with the rest of us. Maybe you could try to get your slabs to clean up their act, yeah? You know, so we don't have to kill them all."

Brick just grunted, and nodded slightly.

Lilith continued, "The rest of you will be doing what we normally do, fighting your way through the hordes till there's nothing left but mush and bullet casings. We can organise our first moves later, so for now, go out and enjoy yourselves. You have earned it, all of you."

We began to make our way downstairs, but as I got to the door, Lilith called out to me. Angel turned back and gave me a quizzical look, but I just waved her away and went back into the OR. I looked around and saw that Lilith had already sat down in one of the chairs, and motioned me to sit across from her. I relaxed back into the chair, feeling the aches and pains in my muscles from the final fight. We had barely had time to relax, and I took the opportunity to sit for a minute quite eagerly. Not to mention, my clothes were still pretty torn up and bloody. My dark T-shirt had rips and holes everywhere from shrapnel and bullets, and my jeans were the same. Some of the blood stains were mine, but mostly from all the Hyperion engineers that had gotten a little to close. Luckily I didn't have to worry about any wounds, because, as a Siren I could heal myself by drawing on Phase energy.

With a sigh of contentment I collapsed in the chair and asked, "So what's up Lil? Have a special mission for me, do you?"

"Yes Fletch, I do. I wasn't sure who I wanted to give this one to, but after seeing how you handled Jack and the Warrior, I'm pretty sure you're the right choice. I want you to find the other Sirens. We are going to need them, and I don't think anywhere would be safer than with us. So, I'm going to let you have as much authority as you need, as many resources as you need and all the time I can give you to find them, and get them safely to Pandora, and to us."

I was surprised. I thought she was going to tell me to focus on taking out a specific faction or base somewhere on the planet. Not go scouting around the six galaxies, looking for two completely separate people, who I had no idea how to find. I barely even knew that much about the world in general, how did Lilith expect me too-

"Angel will be going with you."

My brain stopped in its tracks. Angel would be coming with me around the universe, on a quest to find the only other two members of the Siren race not yet on Pandora. I could live with a mission like that. "Well, that makes a bit more sense. But still, just the two of us, practically kids travelling the universe alone with no back up and no way to get any. Are you sure we can't take anyone else? Someone who can help us not stand out in the crowd?"

Lilith sighed, and thought for a few seconds before replying, "I suppose I could spare one other person. One, and only one. You don't have to choose now, but when you tell me who you picked make sure you've really thought long and hard about it. Ok?"

I had already eliminated a few of the other Vault Hunters, and I knew it wouldn't take long to reach a final decision. However, I would still go over my choice plenty of times, so I could defend myself properly if Lilith disagreed. Which I could swear she would do, no matter who I picked. "That's better than nothing, I suppose. I'll get back to you soon with my choice. What about transport? We aren't talking about little Moonbase trips anymore."

Lilith grinned, "Fast travel isn't just for moving around on a single planet, you know. I have thought about Angel's hacking and I reckon she could hook you up to the interplanetary network pretty easily. I doubt you would even need fake passes, she could just activate or deactivate old ones at will, then erase data and cover your tracks."

"Any idea where we should start looking?"

Lilith shook her head, "Not really. But I'd say the places closest to home are a good bet. It's no secret that the corporations snd probably the whole universe, have been watching very carefully to see just what happens here on Pandora. And like Maya and I, Sirens seem to be drawn here. As well as the commotion about Pandora and the Vaults, there is so much about this planet that is Siren friendly. You probably felt the way the energy changed as you got further away from Pandora on your trip to the Moonbase."

I nodded, thoughtful of her words. Pandora was a one of a kind place. Eridium, a major source of Phase energy, was found in almost limitless amounts here on Pandora. Not to mention that the Vaults and all the Eridian ruins had been built by and used the same energy that Sirens did. It was pretty obvious that whoever had been here before us, had control of Phase and all the mysteries that Eridium held. Pandora had a lot of potential and a lot of power that only Sirens would be able to harness.

I also knew that Lilith wanted me to find the other Sirens for their own safety. Once the corporations found out what Sirens under the effects of Eridium are capable of, there would be no telling how far they would go to capture one. Lilith, and any Vault Hunter would do anything possible to stop that kind of power falling into the wrong hands again. Hence the mission she was sending Angel and I out to complete.

Speaking of Angel, "So, why didn't you have Angel stay behind and tell her all this too?"

"I thought I'd let her go party with the others. She deserves to not have to be distracted from her fun. She did kill her only known relative an hour ago, who just also happened to be her father. She deserves a worry free night."

I frowned, "What about me? I don't get a 'worry free night' of my own?"

Lilith tilted her head, and smiled a little, "I may have only just met you Fletcher, but I can already tell what kind of guy you are. No matter what night it is, you would be mulling over some problem. So I thought I would let you mull over one that actually matters. Now come on. The others are waiting, and I don't like to hold things up."

We made our way over to Moxxi's, passing multiple people on the street. The radios were all on full volume, and the bass from the music at the bar was shaking the city itself. We saw Claptrap in the middle of a group, wheel rolling back and forth and his robotic arms gesturing wildly. Then, with what seemed to be a final exclamation, he rolled back a little too far and fell over on the gutter. The crowd around him burst out laughing and dispersed again, obviously uninterested in whatever he had been saying. As we walked past, I leant down and pulled him up from the ground.

"Thanks, minion! You really do-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Lilith behind me. He immediately turned and rolled the other way as fast as his little wheel would take him.

I turned to her, with an eyebrow raised, "What was that all about?"

She gave a sly smile, "Little bastard got a little too confident one night. Tried to hump my leg." She shuddered, but chuckled a little too, "That was the last time he ever came within twenty metres of me willingly."

We laughed together, and stepped up into Moxxi's. Apparently, we were just in time to see Salvador on the bar, a glass of Rakk ale in one hand and an imaginary microphone in the other. He was bellowing out some sort of song, but unfortunately it was in Spanish and no one had any idea what the hell he was saying. Even so, the whole room was humming and clapping along happily nonetheless. Smiles lit the room like suns, and the air smelled of beer, sweat, and pizza. It was going to be a long night.

I looked around for somewhere to sit and spotted Axton, Maya and Angel at a table over near the back of the bar. Leaving Lilith to talk with one of the lieutenants, I began to make my way across to their table. As I got about half way through the room however, I saw Scooter standing at the main entrance. When our eyes met, he motioned me outside. As curiosity began to unfurl itself in my mind, I followed him out into the night air.

He had gone left and was standing not far from the door, looking around anxiously as if he was afraid of being caught. I walked over and stood next to him, looking around to see if I could spot anything unusual, "Yes, Scooter?"

He smiled at me nervously and looked over his shoulder for the fourteenth time in almost as many seconds, "So you're Fletcher, yeah?"

I didn't say anything. There was no need to answer. At least, I hoped not.

He turned back to me, and said, "Ah, so, do you happen to know much about Gaige?"

Gaige? Why would Scooter want to know about- Oh. So that's why he was going to so much secrecy.

"I know a bit about her, Scooter. And before you ask anything more, no I do not think it's a good idea to go talk to her. She wouldn't even look at you twice much less go out with you."

His eyes snapped onto mine in anger, and he was about to utter a probably ineligible retort before I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I am totally kidding, man. What's up?"

The anger faded from his eyes, to be replaced with the same anxious look as before. "Well, I was looking for her before, you know? To see if she would help me design some new weapons and drive systems for the runners and technicals tomorrow. But when I found her…." He trailed off, eyes stopping their mad flickering and settling to stare wide eyed at the ground.

Despite my earlier joking, I was starting to get a little worried now. What had Scooter seen to shake him up so much? From what the others had told me, he had never broken down like this before. Not even in New Haven. "Scooter, what did you see?"

His eyes came back to mine and he took a deep breath, before letting it out in a rush as he said; "She was missing an arm."

I frowned, "Ah Scooter, you know that she can remove her bionic arm whenever she wants right?"

He shook his head vigorously, "I know that. I probably get her smartness better than any of y'all, but it wasn't her bionic arm that was missing, it was her other human one. And she was bleeding, and there was sparks, and I saw Deathtrap lying on the floor, bits missing, and she had this look in her eyes man. In her eyes. It was like she was in some other world, where she wasn't bleeding out from a missing arm, and was just working on her robot like any other day."

Okay, so maybe he did have some reason to be shaken up. But not this bad. "Scooter, are you drunk?"

He burped, and nodded, "Yeah, a little. Why?"

I relaxed a little; it probably wasn't as bad as he made out to be. "Go back to Moxxi's and get another drink, but first, where was Gaige when you saw her last?"

He pointed toward the other side of town, "At Zed's. He wasn't there though, no one except her. Everyone else is either here at Moxxi's or in the streets."

"Alright, I'll take care of it. Head on back to Moxxi's now." He moved to go, but I stopped him again, "And tell Angel to come as fast as she can if she gets my call, okay?"

He frowned, but nodded and made his way back up the steps. I turned and started walking quickly in the direction of Zed's. No need to run and draw unnecessary attention, even though it probably wouldn't matter anyway, considering how conspicuous I would look in any crowd. Siren tattoos, distinctive clothing and dark brown hair a little on the long side left a fair bit to be desired in the 'I am hard to notice' column.

Luckily, I reached Zed's place without incident. This side of town was practically deserted; the only other person I could see was one of the Raiders on watch up on the rooftops. I put my ear up to Zed's door, and drew in some Phase to boost my hearing. Barely breathing, I listened carefully for any sounds or vibrations on the other side. I could hear the regular in and out of Gaige breathing, and a humming from some sort of machinery. I waited until the humming stopped before opening the door and looking into the room.

Deathtrap lay deactivated on the floor and several bits of armour had been removed, revealing the complex machinery and electronics beneath. There was a small, neat pile of tools lying next to the massive robot; a spanner, soldering iron and a coil of solder itself, a circuit board, and surprisingly, Gaige's hammer. She usually always kept it on her belt. I wonder what would make her leave it on the ground like that.

When I looked up at where Gaige was standing over a desk, working on something with some tool I didn't recognise, I realised that Scooter had been right. She only had one arm, and it wasn't her robotic one that was missing this time. There was a rough bandage over her right shoulder to staunch the bleeding, and yet she didn't seem distracted by the pain at all. It was about time I found out just what she was up to before she did something she might regret later.

I knocked on the open door, and she looked over at me. "Oh, hey Fletcher! I didn't hear you open the door. If you're coming in, close it behind you. The breeze might mess up my work."

I stepped in and shut the door behind me. Sliding carefully around Deathtrap's dissected form, I made my way over to the desk. Standing on Gaiges's left, I finally got to see what she had been working on. I also tried really hard to not wonder what she had done with her old arm. "Gaige, what are you doing now?"

She laughed, "Oh, don't give me that tone. I'm making some self-improvements. You know how it takes me a really really long time to recharge Deathtrap? Yeah? Well, I have a solution."

I looked over the desk, and it hit me. "You're building a second digistruct rod, and like last time you're making it into an arm. Smart girl. But you didn't think of just putting two rods in the one arm?"

She smiled, and motioned to the nearly completed arm that lay on the desk before us, "You know how to jump to conclusions, at least. Yes, I am building a second spawning rod for DT, so that now I can have him out all the time!"

I frowned, "Don't you mean, have two different units out at different times, but they nearly overlap so that it's _like_ having one Deathtrap?"

She pouted, "You're taking all the fun out of it. But... yes, that's essentially what I mean. Get this though, smarty pants. If I was only creating a second rod on its own without further modification, that would be right. However, I have done much more than that." She waved her arm toward the deactivated DT, and said, "I have linked his charge systems wirelessly to both rods, so that now, while one is charging, the other is powering DT, then when the other has finished charging, they swap. So in effect, DT will be able to remain in the battle indefinitely."

Smart, and probably unbelievably tricky. "Fair enough. I have to say though, Scooter saw you when you were opening up DT and thought you had gone insane. He sent me over here to see if you were okay. He won't admit it, but it was probably to make sure you didn't go on some madness fuelled rampage."

She laughed in her crazy way and wiped her face with a cloth. I remembered then that she was actually older than me, even though I was taller. It was hard to see this nutcase Mechromancer as anything more than a teenage girl with a big robot protector, but when you got to know her she had an inner strength of purpose that not many were gifted with. A prime example of this was cutting off your own arm just to make your robot that much better than it already was.

"Well you can go tell Mr Scooter that I'm not planning any rampages quite yet. However if he continues to spy on me as he has been ever since I showed up here, I will be forced to send Deathtrap at him. It will not be pleasant."

I laughed, and she got back to work on the arm. The hand of the unfinished limb sat over to the side, the metal digits hanging limp from the joints. I picked it up carefully and admired the careful workmanship that had gone into its creation. The joints moved smoothly, and with the same resistance and stretch as real human fingers. Though I am sure they could take a lot more pressure than human ones before they sustained any damage.

"Do you have the same sense of touch through these as you did through your… old hands?"

Without looking up from her soldering, she nodded and said, "I do. In fact, it's about a third better at detecting vibrations and textures. Which is why I have also decided upon another add on that I think you and the others will approve of. I know I do. Just give me another quarter hou, and I'll show you and the others when I come to the party. But for now you can hurry up and get back to your girl, who I am sure is missing your company." She looked up from the desk, and grinned, "Better hurry, before Scooter or God forbid, Claptrap tries to make a move."

I laughed, but made my way over to the door, "Sound advice. I'll see you soon Gaige."

"See ya, Fletch."

Making my way back through town to Moxxi's, my smile grew with every step. Jack was dead, the Warrior defeated, and it was a night of celebration. Not to mention that everyone would end up drunk as hell. As I walked in through the main entrance, I saw that Axton, Maya and Angel were still where I had left them. Making my way through the crowded room, I reached the table and sat down next to Angel.

She smiled at me and wrapped an arm around my waist, "There you are. I was just beginning to wonder whether or not I needed to come and save your ass. You know, again."

I scoffed, "Please, like _I_ would need saving. If anyone needs saving right now, it would be Maya. Stuck here with only you and Axton for company. It must have been hell."

Maya smiled, "Sure was. But I'm not sure this is any better."

We laughed, and Moxxi came over with a tray of drinks. She handed them out, and said, "On the house for the Vault Hunter's tonight. You sweeties enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks Moxxi," Axton took a swig from his beer, and said, "So, how about it hey? It's done. The Warrior is dead, and I must say you two probably had the most to do with that. Seriously, your one of the best pairs I've ever seen. And I don't just mean on the battlefield." Angel blushed, and hugged me tighter. Axton chuckled lightly, and motioned to my drink, "Go on, give it a swig. You'll like it."

I picked up the bottle, and checked the alcohol content. 14% per volume. Well, I was planning on getting hammered, but maybe not that fast.

_Screw it,_ I thought, and took a mouthful of the beverage. It tasted okay at first, but when I swallowed, it burned and smarted in my throat. I struggled not to cough and splutter, and set the drink down with a grimace.

Axton smiled and took another sip from his own drink, "Don't worry, it grows on you."

I glanced at the bottle again, and said, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Zero came over from the bar, and I moved across to let him sit. He usually moved with a steady, calculated grace, but at the moment he seemed more normal. Which I suppose meant he had been hitting the booze too.

"So my friends, I have decided to screw the Haiku for a while. It became just a little too much strain near the end there, and now that I have finally beaten one of the biggest challenges in the universe, I think it's time for a change. So goodbye Haiku." He seemed committed to it, though it was always hard to tell if Zero was joking or dead serious.

Maya raised an eyebrow, "But you're still not going to show us your face are you?"

Zero simply put a :P emoticon on his visor, before saying, "No. And don't pester me about it or I will go back to Haiku, and they'll be so convoluted you will never understand a word I say."

Maya just raised her hands in surrender as a smile played on her lips. Zero ignored her, and said, "I did come over here for a reason, however. Have any of you seen Gaige?"

I nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Oh, no reason," He said, "Lilith is just trying to keep tabs on us, and was getting a little worried, apparently."

"Ah, in that case, tell her she'll be back in ten minutes or so, and that she had a surprise for us."

Zero nodded and got up, "I'll be back," He said as he left and wandered over to the bar.

Angel smiled and when he was out of earshot, said, "No he won't. He's going to go find Lilith then spend the next hour trying to impress her."

We all stared at her in shock. How could she know what he was going to do, and how could she think that _Zero_ was interested in Lilith?

Angel read the looks on our faces, and just shrugged, "That guy has a butt load of implants and cybernetic upgrades. The impulses are pretty easy to interpret. Before you ask, no, I can't tell you what his past is, because if I did, he would know, and he would try his absolute hardest to kill me. Then I would have to kill him, and I don't want to do that."

We all looked at her like she was crazy, but she shrugged again and had some more of her drink. I just shook my head and looked around at the rest of the room. Zeo and Lilith? It wasn't possible. Besides, Lilith still needed time to get over Roland. I knew Angel had learned a lot of secrets over the years, but I doubted she could predict exactly how this one would turn out. I wondered just what kind of scandals she could remember from when she…. Yeah, I don't think I'll ask her about those.

We chatted about unimportant matters for a while, as we watched the party go on around us. Getting wilder and wilder as the night grew older and older. I checked the time on my ECHO and saw that Gaige should have turned up a while ago. I decided to let it go; she would come when she was ready.

In the time gap, I let myself think about who to bring with Angel and I when we went on our mission. I had already eliminated Salvador, Axton, Maya, and Mordecai, as they would be needed here, and I didn't want to separate Axton and Maya either. That left Zero, Brick, and Gaige. I simply needed to mull over the different characteristics of each of them, and decide from there. Shouldn't take long, but it took more thought than I had the time to give it right now. Plus the alcohol wasn't helping.

I turned my attention back to the others in time to catch the end of Maya's sentence. She seemed to be explaining her life from before Pandora to Axton. "So after I blew that self-righteous bastards brains out, I grabbed the next shuttle here. On the way, I was contacted by someone who told me they knew about Sirens and gave me instructions to board a particular train. And from there, well you know the story as well as I do."

Axton nodded, "That I do. I gotta say though, while your story is pretty good, it's nowhere near as awesome as Gaige's. I mean, that bitch Marcie got what she deserved in my opinion. Goes to show that abusing your power can and will get you in deep shit. Especially when you're using it to better someone like Gaige."

Angel smirked and said, "More specifically, something like Deathtrap, owned by someone like Gaige."

I looked over Maya's shoulder, and saw the subject herself coming up the steps to the bar. Deathtrap was shadowing her, and I guessed that the dual rod mechanism must have worked. But more surprising, and what really drew the room's attention, was that she no longer appeared to have a mechanised arm. Considering I knew that both of them were now mechanised, I was doubly impressed at her work. I assumed she had built two small holoprojectors into each arm, so as to produce the appearance of regular flesh and bone.

The whole room stopped and stared. Everyone here knew that Gaige had a bionic arm, but only a few of them had seen DT up close. So the combined effect of the fear of DT and the pleasant surprise of seeing Gaige as, _normal_, had stunned the room dead quiet. I was the first to do anything. Standing from my seat and walking over to her, I reached out intentionally with my left hand. She grinned, and we shook. Her hand felt like any other, so I assumed there was more to the ilusion than I had first predicted.

The room burst back into life, with everyone crowding around us, questions heavy on their lips and awe in their eyes as they admired DT. The rest of the Vault Hunters pushed through the crowd, and greeted Gaige with much the same questions as everyone else. The general gist of the room was _h__ow the hell did she do it?_

Gaige touched a spot on her left arm and DT moved in front of her, clearing a path to the bar. Everyone, still crowded around her, continued with the questions. Except Angel and I. Angel would be able to tell exactly what Gaige had done pretty easily, and Gaige had told me herself earlier. So we didn't speak, and just waited for her to say something on her own time.

The volume of the room was growing and it was nearly impossible to think straight. Moxxi was waiting behind the bar and when Gaige got near, she reached under the bench top and pulled up her old megaphone from the Underdome. Handing it to her, she winked and patted the top of the bar. Gaige climbed up and switched on the megaphone.

I was the closest to her, and covered my ears for the rather loud command I could tell was coming. Angel did the same and I could even feel her fiddling with the megaphones electronics with her power, making it clearer and louder.

Gaige looked around, grinned, and then yelled into the megaphone.

"SHUT UP!"

The room went dead quiet.

Her smile grew even more, and I heard her mumble, "I've always wanted to do that," before she addressed the crowd before her.

This time, in a much more peaceful voice, she said, "For the last thirty seconds, I have been hearing a bazillion questions, all very loud and very annoying. A bit like me, really. Kidding guys. In answer, to them, no, I have not cloned another arm and transplanted it with my old one. I'm not Zed, and he had nothing to do with this. I have simply planted a holographic projector in it to make it look like I did. Also, because I am so awesome, I replaced my old arm with another mechanized one. Look." She pressed a spot on her left arm again, and the holoprojectors shut off, revealing two near identical robotic limbs. Her left had multiple buttons on the forearm cover plate, obviously to control the arms functions, and Deathtrap too.

"This is good for two main reasons. Firstly, I am now able to have my wonderful friend here out for an unrestricted amount of time, and I am also now ridiculously strong. Not to mention, they look like regular old arms most of the time, so no one will be able to tell the difference. Don't say it, I already know. I am the greatest engineer alive."

Someone cried out from the crowd, "Well duh! Why do you think we've put up with you for so long?"

Everyone laughed, and Gaige said into the megaphone, "You're lucky I can't tell who said that, because they would be in some deep shit."

She jumped down from the bench, and handed the megaphone back to Moxxi, who put it back under the bar. Gaige looked around at us, her eyes bright and her smile happy. She tapped the controls on her arm, which looked like a regular old skin again, and Deathtrap digitised.

From there, we celebrated and partied like everyone else already was. Looking back on it, the whole thing is just one big blur of craziness and drinking. But, I had at least accomplished something important that night. I knew who would be coming with Angel and I on our mission. With that care behind me, I simply enjoyed myself.

It had been one hell of a party.

* * *

**A/N: So there's chapter one, and I hope you enjoyed it. Long, right? I'm planning on having them all long, but maybe not quite this large. Yes, Fletcher and Angel and, you guessed it, Gaige, are going to be heading out on their own into the borderlands universe. But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning writing about the others. There will be POV switches coming up, so we can keep up with the others back on Pandora.**

**I should be updating every two or three days, so keep an eye out. Or you could just hit that good old follow button, or if you're really awesome, the favourite button too. Either of those and you'll know as soon as I upload!**

**Thanks for reading, please review, and next chapter up soon!**


	2. Deliberations and Consultations

**More Than a Vault Hunter – Chapter 2 – Deliberations and Consultations**

**A/N: Hey guys! This is one chapter that took waaayyy longer than it should have. I would like to say a big thanks to fellow author Kromatick, who put time and effort into  
1. Co-authoring this chapter  
2. Getting my motivation and inspiration right back where it should be.**

**3. Being generally awesome. :P**

**I am sorry about the wait, and working on this chapter has made me realise that I can't 'set' myself a word count that I have to hit. I need to write the chapter to how long the chapter has to be, and then that's it. I can go back and add some or take some, and it doesn't matter as long as it makes the writing better. It's not every day you learn something like that, but it should be.**

**Review Replies:  
**

athos-aramis: Thanks for the awesome review, if you want, you can check out the things I edited in the first chapter, and tell me if I fixed them up or not. I'm not quite sure I did, because it's difficult to fix things like that in your own story. And, I think I will continue with this series for a while yet, in fact I think I even have a sequel to this sequel started somewhere. Don't worry about it.

Trackdrive: Thanks, it's great to know someone else is looking forward to it. I know I am! :D

GJ115: Me neither. :P

**Thanks to those who reviewed, and I hope to see others do the same! Let me know what you want to see, who you want more of etc. I am happy to write pretty much anything, so don't be afraid to ask. For example, who do you want the next chapter's perspective to be in? Answer in a review! It's that easy.**

**Read on.**

* * *

_Gaige_

I woke in a mood that would scare off an Alpha skag. My head felt like a varkid had munched its way in, and was kicking my forehead in time with my pulse. I tried to escape from its anger by falling back to sleep, but I had no such luck. I was up, so I suppose I had to make the best of it. With a sigh, I rolled over, squeezing my eyes tight in the pain. I must have had a hell of a lot to drink last night. When the dizziness stopped spinning the world beneath me, it was time to move. Sitting up was not going to be a pleasant experience, no matter how long I waited.

It wasn't. As I pulled myself up onto my elbows, the little varkid panicked and went ballistic on my skull. I dropped back to the pillow with a moan, but I would not be beaten. I tried again, with a little more success this time. I was able to end up sitting up, head in hands over the edge of the bed. I peered out through my fingers, and saw the floor below me spinning and twirling. It was entrancing to see for a few seconds, until it seemed I was the one moving. That thought didn't sit well with my varkid friend, and he gave me a nice, strong kick as punishment. I really hated that little motherfu-

"Ah, she's up! I wondered when you would return to the living, Senorita. How's the head girly? Like hell I'd bet, for a young one like you." I peeled my eyes open again, and saw Salvador's boots and torn up jeans. Judging from his tone, he was looking to have some fun with my current state.

Not likely. With a simple hand motion, DT spawned right in front of me. I pressed the command button for 'intimidate', and the foot long claws appeared on his hands as he towered over Salvador. Sure, Sal was crazy, but even he knew he couldn't take on DT alone.

I pressed a few more controls, and DT moved forward threateningly, a low menacing growl coming from his speakers. Sal just chuckled and walked away casually. DT remained there, and I heard him growl a few more times as others wandered a little too close. I slowly woke and gained enough mental coherence to be able to stand. Looking at the empty bunks around me, I guessed everyone else had woken already. That was fine with me; at least they had been quiet about it. The headache was subsiding now, so I risked walking. It was bad, but not so bad that I would fall. I hoped.

The wall was my best-friend as I made my way to the OR. I made it to the door, and looked in with bleary eyes. It seemed that everyone except Mordecai was here, but there didn't seem to be much going on just yet. Everyone was scattered about the room and looked as dead as I felt. Axton was leaning over the balcony, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand and Maya beside him. Lilith was sitting in a chair, head back and eyes closed and blocking everything else out. Zero was leaning against the wall in a corner, still as a statue. Salvador sat opposite Lilith, and was staring into the display as it rotated the Crimson Raider emblem. Brick was beside the door, and he gave me a nod as I met his eyes. Fletcher had Angel on his lap on a chair to the right of the room.

So, walking in slowly, I sat beside Fletcher and Angel, and just relaxed. I got the feeling everyone else wouldn't be moving for a while either, so I took advantage of the quiet to let my mind wander. And wander to the future, whatever it might be.

Pandora was still one fucked up planet. It was as simple as that. Sure, we had killed Jack, and done one badass job of it, but killing one man doesn't end an entire war. The bandit's numbers had been reduced in the thousands, but they were still a threat. The Eridium was sitting down under the surface, and the mines that Hyperion still controlled were doing a roaring trade. Slag infected creatures were all over, harassing settlements and travellers, and would need to be eradicated before their mutations spread among the rest of the population.

It was a massive job for the Raiders to do. We barely had enough firepower to be able to protect Sanctuary alone, and it was lucky it was as isolated as it was. It was a balance between ensuring a mission got done, and getting them all done quickly. Lilith would have to split her forces into well balanced, decisive groups, each suited to completing a specific task. For example, she would send Axton, Maya and Mordecai as one group, and Zero, Salvador and myself as another, with Fletcher, Angel and Brick as the remaining group. Lilith herself would need to stay in Sanctuary and co-ordinate our efforts, just as she had said yesterday.

Those groupings worked well, due to the variability of each of the Vault Hunters in them. Mordecai was able to organise a group, and provide the most awesome sniper support of any of us. Axton was a tough fighter, and his turret provided a powerful addition to any team. And Maya was able to control a battlefield. As a trio, they would have very few battles they wouldn't be able to win.

I frowned as I thought about it though. I could explain all this to Lilith, and she would listen, because she had learned from Roland's death to _never _underestimate anyone again. She had also learned not to overestimate either, because we had all thought Roland would still be here at the end of it all. But look where that got him? The point was that the rest of the group still thought I was 'that crazy girl with the big robot', and I had had enough of it. They needed to see that I could handle myself, and that I was good for more than just mechanical and technological work. They needed to see I could lead.

One little problem with that though. I hadn't been given the chance, and I doubted I would get one. It seemed that I was doomed to sit back and take the orders, and do what I was told. Put DT there, shoot that, hide there, run here, fix that, hold this, be quiet, stop squealing, yap yap yap. So, I waited. I exercised the same patience that allowed me to try again and again at fixing a problem with one of my designs. I would persist, and take any opportunities that I could to show that I can be someone to follow, not just someone to be led.

So, I waited now for someone else to do something. While I wanted to be a leader, I know that trying to get a drunk, tired group of Vault Hunters to wake up and listen probably wasn't the best way to get started. I guessed I would probably end up thrown over the balcony unceremoniously by an unamused Brick. I wasn't an idiot, so I waited for Lilith to be the one to get things moving, if she even bothered. To be completely honest, I had no idea why we were even here in the first place. She had said it was a day off to recuperate and get our gear in order. So, I waited.

And waited…..

And waited…..

And waited…

And waited some more.

Finally something happened. Mordecai walked in, his rifle on his back, and a massive grin on his face. His appearance seemed to breathe some life into the rest of us. We slowly got moving, stretching out and winding up like an old steam engine. A brilliant innovation, those old steam engines. The original idea, you see, was all about-

Sorry. So, Mordecai walked briskly over to the holostation and activated it quickly. As he loaded up the data, we all gathered around and looked on. It was rare to see him looking so excited after everything that had happened, and I also wondered where he had been. I realised that he hadn't been at the party last night, but also don't remember him staying behind with Lilith to talk about whatever he was going out to do.

Mordecai put his ECHO back on his belt, and started fiddling with the holostations controls. He brought up an image of Pandora, with sections coloured differently, and zoomed in on our continent. There was a spattering of yellow, red and green, with some just a simple sandy brown, same as the desert. He set the hologram to rotate, and left it there. Everyone just stared at it, wondering what it meant. Fletcher was the first to get it, and his expression showed it.

"It's a map of the territories and who controls them, but… it shows it in more detail than any of our others. You would have had to…. Mordecai, is this Hyperion's planetary control map? It has to be."

Mordecai smile grew and he nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and glanced at Lilith. She just waved a hand, so he continued. "You guessed it. We are now in possession of Hyperion's planetary control and territory data. I spent last night sneaking around up in the Moonbase, checking out just what kind of info they kept up there. Believe me, there is a lot, and I'm planning on heading up again, but Lil wanted me back here before I got caught."

"I did, but I wasn't sure you would come. You sounded like an excited little kid up there, old man." Lilith said, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, I got rights, Lil, and one of them is to get excited about shit. So, wanna tell me why I'm down here?" Mordecai asked.

"Okay," Lilith addressed the whole room, "Everyone listen up, I have an idea."

Everyone's seemed to pay attention to Lilith as they waited to hear what she had to say. I, for my part, was lost in my own thoughts and paying minimal attention to the conversation.

"As you probably realised," Lilith continued, "Mordecai has been sneaking around in the Moonbase looking for Hyperion data. Problem with that is, it's still infested with personnel. We're going to change that. I want to take over the Moonbase. And this time, not get our asses captured."

At hearing this, I perked up. It seemed I was the only one that was really interested in this. Some of the tools and tech I would be able to get up there would be incredible. I was _so_ in. I leaned forward in my chair, my elbows on my knees. What seemed weird was, nobody else in the room responded to Lilith's statement.

"Guys!" she said, clapping her hands together, "Do I have your attention, or are you as dead as Ned's zombies?"

The group murmured in response.

"You got mine!" I spoke up, trying to catch her attention. I knew she wouldn't send all of us up there, and I really wanted to go.

"Uhh, great." She frowned at me. "Anyway, I picked a team that will go in and clear the place out. That team will be Salvador, Zero, Axton, Maya, Brick and Mordecai."

My heart sank when I didn't hear my name being called. I stood up out of my chair and faced Lilith, my expression hard.

"Woah, woah, what about me?" I demanded.

Lilith let out a sigh. "Obviously we can't just send everyone up there, and you-"

"I what, Lilith?!" I shouted, I was so angry I didn't think about what I was saying, "You don't trust me?! I'm not good enough?!"

"Jesus, calm down Gaige!" she said, raising her voice, "I'm not singling anyone out here, I just didn't think you were needed on this mission. Besides you-"

"Let me go, or I swear I'll go myself and leave _everyone_ here!"

Before she could respond to this, Angel stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Gaige, relax," she said quietly, "Don't take it personally."

Her words made me even angrier. I snatched my arm away roughly. "Don't tell me to relax," I snapped at her, "They trust you more than they trust me!"

The hurt in her eyes was painful to see, but I didn't care. I didn't care for anyone at that point in time. With that, I turned and walked straight out of the OR, not caring about anyone's reaction. I made my way downstairs and out of the front door to the streets of Sanctuary. I stormed into a nearby alley and sat against a wall, trying to calm down. I couldn't believe that Lilith had done that to me. She made me feel like I was completely irrelevant, like I had no purpose here.

I dropped my head into my hands, trying to slow my shaky breathing. I was willing to grant that I may have overreacted, but it was still completely unfair. How could Lilith leave me out of a mission like that? The only reason we even made it into the Moonbase last time was because of DT, and she just goes ahead and leaves two of her most valuable assets at home? Who did she think she was? I had as much right to this mission as anyone, and I would not sit by and watch another opportunity pass me by. I would go, and that was that.

Someone sat next to me, and I glanced over to see Fletcher looking at me in amusement, though I got the feeling that after what I had said to Angel, he was less than amused.

"Gaige, what was that?"

I scoffed, "Don't give me that tone."

He shrugged, and stated simply, "You started it."

I glanced his way, scowling. Fletcher was smarter than this, why was he _trying_ to piss me off?

He saw the look on my face, and a huge smile spread his lips. "You know what I like about you Gaige? You have fire, and will never give up when trying to get what you want. But what you did up there was out of line, and you know it."

I just shrugged and looked up at the sky. I knew it was, but I still felt it had to be done.

The smile faded, to be left with a very stern and slightly frightening glare, "You know, I shouldn't even be the one lecturing you, considering you're older, but that was Angel who you hurt the most, and I will not stand for that. Ever. She has more regret in her heart than you will ever know, and I hope you can at least have sense enough to apologise. If you don't, then I may have to change my decision, and you really don't want that."

I frowned, "What decision?"

He turned away and stood up. Holding his hand out to me, he said mysteriously, "You'll see."

I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up easily. As he did, I saw his muscles through his dark t-shirt, and the way the tattoos curled around his arms. His dark brown hair was flicked to his left, and it made his deep blue eyes seem almost surreal. He was a good looking guy, and Angel was a lucky girl.

I followed him back upstairs, and we passed the others as they headed back down. I met Axton's eye, and he smiled at me mischievously. I gave him a quizzical look and as he passed me, he whispered, "I hope you know how to deal with an angry Siren." I ignored him, but his words still had his desired effect. I swallowed nervously, but I would stay determined. Lilith _would_ be pissed. I hoped I hadn't pushed her too far to salvage the situation.

We walked in to the OR to see Lilith and Angel talking over the top of the holostation. They looked up at us, and Lilith's mood changed immediately, and not for the better. She leaned back where she stood and crossed her arms, staring me down as Fletcher and I stood around the holostation. I met her eyes with an expression to match hers, and neither of us moved. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. The silence wasn't much better.

Angel kept looking between us, waiting for Lilith or I to make the first move, and Fletcher just stared into the holostation, lost in his own thoughts. However, after a fairly short time, he and Angel shared a look, and a small smile played on his lips, while Angel herself struggled to hold in a laugh. It was enough to break the silence like glass, and Lilith and I started laughing too.

We had no idea what was funny, but we laughed anyway. It was only a short time before we calmed down again, and as the giggles died away, I looked over at Angel and said, "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean it, you know. I don't think straight when I get angry, so yeah, forgive?"

She smiled at me, and nodded. I breathed a sigh of release and turned over to Lilith to apologise to her as well. I didn't really feel like I had to, but I she was the leader of our group, and I had completely disobeyed her. Before I could say a word, however she just raised her hand and said, "Not now, okay? There are other things more important to discuss." So, I said nothing, and waited for someone to start discussing the reason I was here.

It hit me then, that the people in this room were all the ones not going on the Moonbase mission. I was confused at Lilith's choice now. Hyperion would have data stored up there that the others would need either Angel or I to access, and Lilith had left us both here. What was going on? Was there something I didn't know about that she did, or had we done something wrong? Maybe Angel was able to access the information from here, and the others were just clearing out the base of Hyperion soldiers. I doubted it though.

Fletcher looked over at me, and took a deep breath before facing Lilith and saying, "I've picked."

Lilith shook her head, and I could feel the mood change faster than a stalker could cloak. Things were going to get heated, again.

Fletcher's eyebrows met, "You don't even know who I picked, how can you-"

Lilith raised her eyebrows and interrupted him, "Don't know who you picked? I may not be Sherlock, but it's pretty damn obvious. You are not having Gaige."

I piped up, wondering what the hell this was about and what it had to do with me. "Ah, having me? What is this about?" I was conveniently ignored, which was really not cool.

Fletcher scoffed, and said, "Right, because you gave me a choice for a reason."

Lilith snapped back at him, "I gave you a choice, rakk-brain, so that you would _learn_ how to choose your allies. Not so you could steal one of the soldiers that I need from under me!"

"You said you could spare someone. And you remember it. Don't you go back on your word now," Fletcher said, remaining relatively calm.

"Circumstances change, kid, and you know it. Now grow up and deal with it!"

"You said I could have as much power as I need, as many resources as I needed to be able to get this done. Are you taking that back now? Are you going to break that promise to me?" Fletcher's wings, in their awesome crimson and black colours appeared, and the tattoos on his arms glowed.

Lilith's voice was deathly quiet, and it was more frightening than any yelling I'd ever heard.

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I am not. I am just saying you're on the verge of it. You don't want to lie now, not to me, not when I am being reasonable."

Lilith had a look on her face that would have sent me running if I had been in Fletcher's position.

"And now you're threatening me? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Her brilliant golden wings spread from her back, and she raised her fists, ready to fight. "Then let's do it kid! I'll kick your ass!"

Fletcher raised his left hand, tattoos growing brighter, and I knew if I didn't intervene the whole city would end up in rubble. So I stepped between them, where I knew I really, really shouldn't be if I wanted to live, and just looked Fletcher in the eyes. After a second, the light from his crimson eyes, and he lowered his hand with a sigh. I met Lilith's eyes and she did the same, but still looked like she was going to go nuts on his ass.

I stepped back, and looked over my shoulder at Angel. She stared at me in disbelief, and I motioned her around the table to me. I leant in to her ear, and whispered, "What the hell is this all about?"

She just looked at me and shrugged, but smiled and said, "You should know that there's no point whispering among Sirens. We have hearing good enough to notice a heartbeat in a quiet room."

"When we aren't distracted by anything else, that is," Lilith said. "I think it's about time Gaige knows what she's here for. You tell her Fletch. I couldn't be bothered."

Fletcher just sighed again, but looked up at me, and started talking, "Yesterday, when we got back from the Vault, and Lilith had finished speaking to us all, she had me stay behind. She explained to me that Angel and I would be leaving sometime soon to go find the rest of the Sirens, wherever they are in the six galaxies," I nodded, and he continued, "I said that Angel and I were young, and had no real idea of how things outside Pandora worked. Hell, I still barely get how Pandora itself works, but the point was that we needed someone else."

He glanced over at Lilith, but she didn't bother to meet his eyes, "I was told that I was able to pick whoever I wanted from among the Vault Hunters to be that third person. I picked you, and for reasons unknown, Lilith disagrees. Now personally, I find that bullshit, but in this case, I believe your opinion comes before mine. So, what do you think? Wanna come and explore the galaxies with us?"

My jaw dropped. He wanted me to come with him and Angel to find the Sirens? I could barely hold in the excitement. In fact, I don't think I did. "Yes, yes yes yes yes yes yes, I will soooo go with you. That's, like, wow, I mean, _me_ out there with you guys…. This will be the most badass thing since… since, well, yesterday, but you know, whatever. When do we leave?"

"Good question," he said, "When do we leave Lilith?"

She just shrugged, "Whenever you want, but I still want to hear why you have to take Gaige. Why not Zero, or Mordecai, or even Brick? Any of those would be better for me, and you."

Fletch opened his mouth to speak, but Angel beat him to it, "Because she is who she is, Lilith, and you know it. If we went with Zero, he would be recognised. Same with Mordecai, and Brick. All of the others have their wanted posters across the worlds with massive bounties on their heads. We would be harassed, attacked, lied to, and we wouldn't be able to get anywhere near any _smart_ Siren because of the heat. But with Gaige, she is our age, she isn't known universe wide, and DT will be useful as an extra pair of hands in a fight."

Angel glanced over at me, and smiled, "Plus, at least we'll be able to get along with her, unlike Zero, who would just sit there in his moods and sulk."

I met Lilith's eyes. I could almost feel her slowly giving in, but she had fire in her, and would have one last attempt at keeping me.

"Why take anyone at all?" She said.

"Because it wouldn't work any other way," I said, "When we find one of the Sirens, we are going to need someone to escort them back to Pandora, without leaving one person alone in any situation. So when we find the first one, these guys," I said, waving my hand to encompass both Fletcher and Angel, "Can stay and keep looking while I, with DT by my side, escort the Siren and any possible companions of hers back to Pandora. Easy."

Lilith looked between each of us, and saw the looks on our faces. She was defeated, so she decided to retreat with some dignity still intact, "Fine, Gaige can go, but," and here her voice took on that same deathly tone, "If you lose anyone, don't come back at all. Clear?"

We nodded, and Lilith dismissed us with a wave of her hand. Fletcher and Angel left immediately, but I stayed behind. Lilith seemed… exhausted, and the spark that made her who she was, was missing. I sat on one of the chairs and watched as she stared at the desk, lost in thought. A minute passed, and she looked up and spotted me sitting there. As she did, she just sat down on the chair beside me and said, "You don't happen to have a clone around anywhere do you?"

I smiled and shook my head, "If I did, you'd be the first to know."

"Glad to hear it," She sighed, and lay back in the chair, closing her eyes as she tried to relax. "Do you know how hard it is to organise a rebellion? I don't know how Roland was so….. He never questioned himself you know? It was like he was as good at leading as he was at handling that rifle of his."

"I doubt he never questioned himself. If I had been him, I would know that the others needed complete faith in me, and so I wouldn't show them I was in doubt."

Lilith glanced at me, and said, "I'm not sure I want to believe that."

"Then don't. None of us are forcing anything on you, Lil. The only thing you really need to do is not fall apart. We can't help you if you've gone insane."

"I think we are all too far gone for that," she said. The dark humour surprised me. I didn't expect it from her. She was an amazing person, that was for sure, but even Lilith had her limits, and they were much closer than any of us had realised.

"Look, Lil, if you really need it, why not just have a day off? You're not immortal, and I somehow doubt that would even matter under the load you've taken. Let Mordecai handle things for a while. I mean, you're not sending yourself to the Moonbase for a reason right? You need to rest, and recover. So, do that, then you can take another stab at this whole, 'rescue the world' thing when you're ready. Yeah?"

Lilith sat forward, leaning her elbows on her thighs. She met my eyes, and I could tell we had the old Lilith back. "Well, I guess a small break can't hurt right? C'mon, let's go see the others off, I'm sure the trip will be an interesting one for them."

I nodded, and we stood up. As I turned to head toward the stairs, I felt Lilith's hand on my shoulder. I turned back to her, and she enveloped me in her arms. I was surprised, but I didn't hesitate to hug her back.

"Thanks, Gaige."

"No worries, Lilith. Now c'mon, we have a war to finish."

* * *

**A/N: There you go, chapter 2 is finally done! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and let's all hope the next one doesn't take anywhere near as long. (It won't. I promise.)**

**Kromatick will not be with me for the rest of the story, but I still owe him big time. Please check out his awesome stories Mechro, and its sequel Hunted.**

**Leave a review saying who you want to see more of, and I'll be sure to get that done.**

**Thanks for reading, and next chapter up soon. :D**


	3. Departure

More Than a Vault Hunter – Chapter 3 – Departure

**A/N: Hello again guys. Like I promised, this one is coming out much sooner than the previous one. Also, merry Christmas for however long ago it was. I hope you got me a present, by following and reviewing. That would make my day, you know? :P**

**This one is a butt load shorter because I wanted to put something up, but I hope the content makes up for it.**

**Read on.**

* * *

_Fletcher_

Angel and I made our way downstairs and out to the courtyard. We saw the others waiting around in the courtyard, checking weapons and equipment as they got ready for the difficult battle ahead. It wasn't going to be as tough as the Warrior, but they were missing three companions, and that would be enough to make it a challenge. I'm sure Zero was looking forward to not having his kills stolen by me or DT though. As we walked over to them, Angel went to talk to Maya, while I moved over to Zero.

He was checking the edge of his sword for any blunt spots or dents. I watched as he slid a finger along the middle, feeling for a bend in the blade. Finding none, he spun it around in his hands a few times, and satisfied it was ready for battle, digitised it and returned the hilt to his belt. He looked up at me and a question mark appeared over his visor. I glanced down at the sword and raised an eyebrow in silent question. He hesitated, but handed the weapon to me.

It was an impressive piece of equipment. I flicked a switch on the handle, and the blade appeared, its blue edge glowing even while in the sunlight. I held it up vertical, running my eyes over the silver metal as it fused with the blue. I had no idea why it glowed, but as I reached out to feel the sharpness of the blade, I was surprised to find it vibrating. You couldn't see the movement, or feel it in the hilt, and I wondered at the purpose of such a thing. Perhaps it was so the blade could cut through armour easier, or be able to sustain more powerful blows without damage.

Turning my gaze to the hilt, I saw the moulded rubber and carbon-fibre hilt was actually shifting beneath my hand to fit my grip. The raised sections moved and changed, until it felt as if it had been made for me. I shot another look at Zero, and he nodded. So, backing away, I held the blade out before me, as I had seen Zero do so many times before. Then, with a fair dose of concentration, I began one of the training sequences he loved so much.

The blade was perfectly balanced, and I felt like it was a part of me, as I spun it in a tight circle behind my back. I no longer needed the sequence, and let my body act on instinct, improvising every move. Rotating, I swapped the blade to my other hand and slashed down hard on an invisible target. With no resistance, the sword just wanted to keep moving, so I flowed through a set of motions, all off the top of my head. I fell into a rhythm with the sword. Step, swing, recover, spin, thrust, parry, twist, block, counter. I didn't see the crowd that had gathered and was watching as I experimented with the elegant weapon.

With a sense of finality about me, I twisted one last time, and leapt high into the air. With a yell, I brought the blade down on my invisible enemy's head, cleaving him in two. I held my position, blade down and horizontal, my head bowed before me and leaning forward into the strike. Returning to my senses, I looked about to see the crowd that had gathered. I turned back and met Zero's gaze. He had an exclamation mark on his visor. As I began walking back to him, he started clapping. The silence was broken, and pretty soon, I was given a rather impressive round of applause from the spectators.

With a massive grin I handed the sword back to Zero. He took it and held the grip in his hand as it morphed back to suit him. With a big red :) on his visor, he said, "The boy has some skill./ But does it mean he is better?/ I wish to know this."

"You want to spar?" I said, my grin growing even more, "We'll see how we go, but hell yeah. We so should."

"You know the blade well./I am impressed by this./But I've seen better."

I glanced at him and was about to ask who, but he said, "In a mirror."

Those listening cracked up laughing. As we began to calm down again, Lilith and Gaige walked over, and our attention turned to them.

"What are you all standing around here for? You have mission, so get to it." Lilith said, "And all you slack-jawed spectators better clear out."

With a collective groan, the rest of the soldiers departed, leaving only the Vault Hunters gathered in the courtyard. The ones leaving on the mission were doing final checks on their weapons and equipment, making sure they were as ready as they could be for the battle ahead. The metallic sounds of the weapons filled the silence, under pinned by the hum of the city's engine. As the last of the weapons were digitised and the favourites were holstered or rested in elbows, Lilith spoke up for the final briefing.

"Alright, listen up. You are heading back to the Moonbase with two objectives. The first, is to clear out any and all Hyperion personnel, and prevent them from bringing anyone else back in. I want every inch of that place cleared out, no matter how long it takes, and I want it completely cut off from Hyperion. Turn their security systems against them if you have to."

"The second objective is to recover as much intel and equipment as you can. Anything they have up there that could be used by us, I want back here, or under our control. Any reports on the planet, on the other corporations, on Sirens, on anything. Bring. It. Back. We need to know exactly what Hyperion knows, so we can use it against them, and use it to protect ourselves and Sanctuary. Clear?"

They all nodded, and Lilith said, "Good. Then there's no point waiting any longer. Good luck guys."

Angel, Gaige and I echoed her, and the others turned toward the _Firehawk_, the Crimson Raiders personal battle ship, stolen from Hyperion and modified by Angel and Gaige to be the most powerful air support on the planet. The sleek lines had only minor damage, not even noticeable unless you knew where to look.

The _Firehawk_, named after Lilith's alias, was an ex-Hyperion fleet Battlecruiser, upgraded to have even more incredible speed, armour and firepower. I had flown it only yesterday when I escaped from Jack's trap the first time we had gone to the Moonbase. When we had first 'commandeered' it from the spaceport, it had already been one of Hyperion's more valuable members of the fleet, but we had made it awesome enough to stand up to any opposition, air or otherwise. (_Mini Author's Note: Imagine the Pillar of Autumn from Halo, but way, way smaller. About two fifths of Sanctuary's size._)

The regular yellow and grey Hyperion colouring was covered by a haphazard attempt at decoration, probably done last night by a drunk who believed themselves a potential artist.

***  
What none of the Vault Hunters knew was that it was actually Crazy Earl who had painted the _Firehawk._ He had snuck out during the very early hours of the morning, when everyone in the town had been passed out or still at Moxxi's, and, for reasons unknown, covered the ship in a conglomeration of colours. The spattering ranged from a dark grass green to a fluoro pink, and yet even all the different colours didn't make it over the whole hull.

Notably, there was a lack of yellow paint, other than what had already been there. Was this an aesthetic choice by the Eridium loving madman? We might never know.

Back to the story…

***  
_Fletcher  
_  
I watched as the others walked up into the ship. Maya was the last to get moving, but before she got on the ship, she turned back to us and called out, "Good luck!"

We waved as she disappeared into the ship, and the airlock door sealed behind her. The massive engines flared into life, and the docking clamps that were locked into the concrete released and retracted. The ship dipped under its own weight as the vertical thrust took control, allowing the ship to turn and the main engines to accelerate and smoothly send the ship on its way. The rumbling grew louder as the engines grew to nearly full power, but it was not long before the growing distance silenced the ship. At that point the ship was growing smaller and smaller in our vision, even with my Sirens eyes it disappeared in under a minute.

We stood, looking out over the Pandoran wilderness, and thinking our own thoughts.

***  
_Angel_

Who's flying the ship? No, really, who's flying it?

***  
_Gaige_

Hm, if only there was two of me. I would loot the _shit _out of that Moonbase.

***  
_Lilith_

Oh Roland, I wish you were around to see this… Because then I'd be able to go and actually have some fun for once. Stupid wars…

***  
_Fletcher_

Huh, I can see Overlook from here.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know, short as hell (I'm sorry D: ), but I wanted to get something up, and this was a good place to stop. Thinking about it, I should have stopped it here last chapter. Oh well.**

**Thanks for reading, and next chapter up soon! Don't forget to review and say which characters POV you want to see next. :D**

**On an unrelated note, I have my first YouTube video up! Killing Floor on a Minecraft custom map. Check it out and subscribe here - user/TerrorbyteTC**


	4. Preparation is Victories Key

**More Than a Vault Hunter – Chapter 4 – Preparation is Victories Key**

**A/N: Well. I'm back. And I guess, I'm sorry? Yeah, I'm sorry for taking so long. Anyway, I suppose some of you were thinking that I had completely let go of this story. And that was almost true. I am going to say it, this is going to be a very …. **_**full**_** story. I have a lot of things to write about and cover, so bear with me if it takes a long time to update. Plus, after I uploaded the previous chapter, I kind of felt like there was no use. But I see now that that was pretty silly. Of course there is no use to this. It's not about doing it to get something back. It's about the entertainment. For you, and for me.**

**And I'm doing this for you.**

**Review Replies:**

**Undead Assassin: You are correct, he was just shitfaced. :P Thanks for the encouragement though.**

**GJ115: Wait no longer!**

**And finally, here we go…**

* * *

_Angel_

After the others left, we started getting our own things ready. Equipment, clothing, and any basics we would need. So far, all we knew was that we needed to plan for every eventuality. Each planet was in a different situation politically; some were reeling from the lack of leadership, now that Jack was dead and Hyperion retreating already, some were just plain dangerous and others may as well be deserted. Mega-cities, sparsely populated wastelands, water planets, jungles, snow, ice, differing gravity and a hell of a lot more, that can be combined in any way. The search might take a while, and a whole lot of effort, but we would find the other Sirens. We had to.

I flicked through my weapon inventory, doing the math and comparing statistics. As a Siren, I have a love for elemental guns, but I needed to be as varied as I could be. I selected my favourite Dahl SMG, a Maliwan Malevolent Grace with amazing fire elemental, a corrosive Maliwan sniper, and another Dahl pistol, similar to Fletcher's but with electric instead of corrosive. And according to my HUD, 0.4 less fire rate. Damn his nice pistol.

But that's the boring side of it all. I made my way to the holostation, where Lilith had a pair of planets up and revolving in the display. I recognised one as Eden-5, Gaige's home world, and the other as Promethea. Between the two, I would guess we would be heading to Eden-5 first. Gaige would know the planet, and her experience would guide us well enough to hopefully find the Siren there. _If_ she was there at all.

Promethea however… Well, it was a deadly, dangerous wasteland. Pandora looked like paradise in comparison. A couple of corporations had made unsuccessful attempts at taming the place, but none had gotten further than establishing a relatively well sized base of operations. I remember listening in on a meeting among the Hyperion higher-ups about Promethea…

"Alright, what's the point of this meeting then, fellas?"

"Promethea, sir."

Jack scowled, and lent back in his leather chair, spinning his favourite revolver around in his fingers. "Promethea, hey? What about it? I thought Dahl was having a stab at that hell hole."

Michael Johansen, the head of the External Covert Operations Division, or E.C.O. Division, replied warily, eyes flicking to the revolver every few seconds. "Well, sir, you see, they came across some rather unexpected resistance."

"Bandits? Wildlife? C'mon guys we all know that it takes more than a few big animal tracks to scare off Dahl."

Michael swallowed heavily, wishing he was anywhere but here. Well, almost anywhere.

"Ah, sir, you may not want to hear this, but, ah…."

"Oh just spit it out already!"

"Eridians, sir."

Jack's eyes locked onto Michael's, and the revolver stopped. This scared the highly trained assassin and covert operator a lot more than he would ever admit to himself.

"Eridians."

"Yes sir."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely no doubt about it sir."

Jack sighed and stared back up at the ceiling, the revolver resuming its spinning as he thought it over. Why would Eridians be on a shithole like Promethea? Was it a base for reaching Pandora from their home world? But then, everyone had always believed that Pandora _was_ the Eridian home world. Just how wrong had they all been?

"What should we do sir?"

Jack scowled and aimed the gun at the man who had spoken. "Shut up! I'm thinking."

Jack mused allowed, "If Eridians were fighting over something, instead of just hiding, and letting humans go and do their thing, then there must be something they want to protect, that we just don't know about yet. So guess what that means, if you can handle the cognitive pressure without passing out."

"Ah, sir, are you sure that taking on the Eridians is a good idea? I mean, if Dahl was defeated as easily as they were, it means we would need-"

The man's voice cut off abruptly. His last words smothered by the ringing in everyone's ears from Jack's revolver. Smoke rose from the barrel of the gun, as everyone stared at the man's body. Sure, Jack had shot people at the conference table before, but it had been a while.

With a menacing look around the table, Jack said, "Anyone else doubt our superiority over those stupid mercs? No? Well, how convenient. Now, as soon as Pandora is ours, Promethea is next on the list. Once I have the power contained within the Vault there, we can march straight over to Promethea, and take it that much easier. Any comments?"

The room stayed silent.

"Good. Now I don't want to hear a word about Promethea again until Pandora is finished. Now get the hell out of here."

Once the room was empty, and the footsteps faded down the hall, Jack sighed heavily, and slumped into his chair.

"Idiots…"

_Fletcher_

I examined the note in my hands, and read it one more time. I had found it on my bed when I had gone to get my gear ready. It was from Roland, and I assumed Mordecai had left it there. Immediately I had come downstairs, and now stood before the barred door, staring at the page. It read;

_If you're reading this, then I am dead, and Mordecai has decided you can enter my armoury using the code on the back of this page… If I am not dead and he has given you this, then tell me and I'll deal with it._

_However, if that is not the case, than this is likely to be rightfully yours. And so, if you have this, then I thank you for doing what you can to keep the raiders from falling apart. Jack must die, and there are only so many people who can pull it off. I hope to god your one of them, whoever you are. It needs to be done, and he needs to die._

_I understand that in the course of working with the Raiders, you may have to make some tough decisions, and get through some tough circumstances. Take heart, we have more allies than you realise. My friend, I only have a few more things to say, but they may be the most important words I ever tell anyone._

_Firstly, the Raiders may be small, but we have secrets, and connections. I made a lot of enemies as a Vault Hunter, but I made some friends too. My friends are now your friends. Their names are on the back, and if you tell them you work with the Raiders, and knew me, then they will help in whatever way you need._

_Secondly, protect Lilith however you can. I know she can be difficult sometimes, but she means more to me than even I think I realise. Be sure that she is safe and if possible, happy. It would mean more than the world to me if you did this._

_Finally, do not forget who your friends are and be wary of those who would betray you. You never know who may be against you, and so anything you do, you must be sure of yourself. You must be sure of those around you. Even someone who seemingly has no reason to betray you could end up stabbing you in the back. Literally._

_I thank you, whoever you are, for what you are doing. I hope what you find in my armoury will be a help in the coming battles._

_Your friend,_

_Roland _

I went to the gate, pressed the code into the keypad, and pulled the switch. The LED changed from red to green and there was a quiet beep as the door unlocked. I dragged the gate across, and looked into the room. An old Dahl weapons storage case was sitting against the wall opposite me, and a few lockers and boxes were next to the door. I walked up to the storage case and flipped the switch. With a hiss of hydraulics, and dust clouds gathering around the edges I looked inside to see what weapons Roland had thought worthy to keep.

I was not disappointed. As the lid lifted away I saw quite a worthy arsenal sitting there. It seemed he had gotten these weapons off of the other Vault Hunters before they had even come to Sanctuary. There was a shiny Mailiwan Pure RF6 Combustion Hellfire, one of the most sought after guns in the six galaxies. Or so my HUD told me. Above it was a Jakobs Original DVL3 Fearsome Hawkeye, with a digital scope and what seemed to be a custom black finish.

If I were to guess, I would bet these guns had been Lilith and Mordecai's back in their Vault Hunting days. As a matter of fact, when I examined the SMG, I saw Lilith's signature on the inside of the trigger guard, little hearts dotting the 'I's. I checked the slide and trigger action. Everything moved smooth as silk. Roland sure knew how to take care of a gun. Placing it back in the container, I removed the sniper, and did the same check. Just like the Hellfire, it was in perfect condition. I looked in the other containers around the room, and found some cash, a couple of clips of assault rifle ammo, and an insta-health vial. I assumed Brick had taken his guns with him when he left to become King of the Slabs. A pity, a shotgun would have been handy.

Taking the guns from the storage container, I locked it up with a sense of finality. Walking out, I closed the barred door, and the electronic lock beeped. With a glance behind me and a silent word of thanks to Roland, I made my way upstairs to get ready.

_Gaige_

I knocked on the wall, and watched as Scooter scrambled out from under an old car. He went to sit up a little too fast, and put fairly large dent on his forehead. I swear I could see the exhaust pipes imprint on his face. Rubbing a rapidly appearing lump with a grimace, he walked over to me, and said, "Geeze girly, you scared the…. Something outta me."

I tried, and failed, to keep a straight face as I said, "Did you hit your head? Or are you just happy to see me?" I couldn't hold it in any longer, and burst out laughing.

He was blushing bright red, as he said "So, um, what brought you to my humble workshop on this fine day?"

I stopped for a second, and asked myself the same question. I had nothing to get ready, had nothing I needed to do, so why would I come here? Was I looking for someone else who knew something about what I did, or was I just looking to relax before I went back home? My old home, anyway.

I pushed the matter out of my mind, it didn't matter. I could just pass some time before we left.

"So, Scooter, what were you working on? Fixing up and old car are we?"

He smiled and motioned for me to follow him back over to the car. It was pretty beat up, and rusted to hell, but Scooter reassured me it would look brand new by the time he was finished with it.

"Trust me, when I'm done with this old beauty, she'll be shinier than a skag pearl. Well, a clean pearl anyway."

I wasn't sure I agreed with him, but I nodded anyway. I looked around the workshop in an attempt to start a conversation, but before I could say anything, Scooter brought one up that I never would have thought of.

"So, can you tell me something Gaige?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"What do you think will happen when you get to Eden 5?"

I frowned, "Why are you asking?"

He shrugged, and said, "Well, you're wanted for murder over there right? So, what's the security like? Will you be able to walk around like nothing happened, or will you be shot as soon as you appear at the travel station? I'm just thinking, I doubt they will have forgotten what you did."

I really didn't want to talk about it, but he had a point. The security on Eden 5 at the time I left may have been pretty….. tight, but it was funded by Hyperion. Hyperion had no leader now, so all I could hope for was that they had gotten slack.

"I don't know, Scooter. I guess we'll just have to wait and see? Who knows, we may even end up going to Promethea first."

He just scoffed, and said, "Girly, if yous guys go to that hell hole first, I may as well be a lone skag stuck in a cave with a pack of stalkers. I don't think you'd make it twenty metres without another Siren helping. My advice, once you pick up the first Siren, keep her with you when you go to Promethea. It'll give you all that little bit more chance of surviving. If not, well, it was nice knowing y'all."

I sighed, and said, "Yeah, well it's not up to me."

"Why not?"

"Because the others never listen to me! I mean, Fletcher's two years younger, only remembers a week of his life, and he has more say than me, just cause he's a Siren? What the hell is up with that? I can understand why Angel gets a say, she knows so much, and we need her knowledge of the way things work. Not to mention she learned a trick or two when in her containment chamber all those years. But me? Nothing. I'm always being ordered around, never giving them. It sucks balls, Scooter."

He was looking at me sceptically, when he said, "Well shit. I don't mean to be rude, but I think you're missing a vital piece of info there. Why do you think you're going to Eden 5 first?"

"Because it's the closest."

"Wrong."

"Well, why then?" I snapped.

Scooter smiled and said, "Because of you, girly."

I looked at him in disbelief, "Me?"

"Yeah, you. Duh. It's your goddamn home planet. You'll know more about it than anybody here. You'll be in charge. You'll be given the chance you want. Plus, Fletcher would probably get distracted by all the new shit around him."

I smiled a little, and asked, "You really think so?"

He smiled back, and said, "I sure do. As sure as shit stinks."

I smiled more, and shook my head, "Right, well, I hope your right. Thanks Scooter." I made my way back to the exit as he said,

"No problemo, anytime girly."

* * *

**And that's that! I hope you guys were happy to see a revival. Now, please don't rush me to get chapters up. I'll do the best I can with the circumstances I have.**

**Review, follow, and whatever else you crazies do! :P**

**Thanks for reading, and don't miss the next chapter.**

**~Terrorbyte~**


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